[wilmasdaughter]

Nancy, like you & your father, I take care of my 90 year old mother who was diagnosed with MDS two years ago. She has low platelets, as well as low RBC and WBC and Hgb. It's a roller coaster ride, as everyone has said. My mother lives with several other co-morbidities, so we are constantly juggling physician visits and medications. My mother's primary treatment is Aranesp and B12 shots every month. In the past 2 years, she's probably been hospitalized half a dozen times for various illneses related to her MDS (pneumonia, dehydration, bronchitis, etc.). I have gotten a pretty good "eye" about when she isn't feeling well and a quick unplanned trip to the hematologist almost always results in a couple days in the hospital. But she has always bounced back. I know at her age that one of these times she WON'T bounce back. It's really tough to see an elderly parent go through this, and be totally helpless to provide any "real" assistance. Take care and stay in touch. Sounds like your situation is very similar to mine.